Drop-feed lubricator.



,F. LOWRY.

DROP FEE'D LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IULYZY, i915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII cc., WASHINGTON. n. c.

F. LOWRY.

DROP FEED LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLY27.1915.

1,170,295. Patehted Feb. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRANK LOWRY, LOUDONVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OHIO GREASE COMPANY,

OF LOUDONVILLEL'OI-IIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DROP-FEED LUBRICATOR.

' Application filed July 27, 1915. Serial No. 42,112.

citizen of the United States, residing at Loudonville, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drop-Feed Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to lubricators for feeding grease, oil and other similar lubricants into the steam line or steam chest of an engine; and the object of the improvement is to provide means for thoroughly heating and liquefying the lubricant as it is fed through a nipple from the grease'reservoir into the feed line, so that the size of the drops of lubricant which are formed at the mouth of the nipple can be reduced to a minimum, and the formation of the drops extended during a maximum period of time. The efficiency of lubricators of this class depends largely upon the temperature to which the grease is heated and maintained during the formation of the drops. When the grease is more highly heated, it is reduced to a thinner liquid, which permits drops to be formed of minimum size, and being less viscous permits the formation of the drops to be deferred during a longer period of time, thus giving greater control of the quantity of lubricant fed into the feed line; and at the same time the more highly heated and smaller sized drops permit the lubricant to be more thoroughly atomized to more completely vaporize and permeate the live steam in the supply .line.

The object of the improvement is attained by providing a feed fitting forming a steam chamber surrounding a heating pipe through which the lubricant flows from the grease chamber to the feed nipple, and by locating the heating pipe and the feed nipple directly in the path of live steam flowing through the chamber so as to be impinged directly and entirely surrounded by the live steam at all times.

A lubricator embodying the invention thus set forth in general terms, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lubricator; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, an elevation section on line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a top view of the lubricator; Fig. 5, a detached under side view of the Specification of Letters Patent. I I

' upper end of the grease reservoir.

Patented Feb. 1, 191

feed fittingyFig. 6, a section of the feed fittlng on line 66, Figs. 3 and 5 and Fig.

7, a fragmentary section showing a modified form of the feed fitting.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The grease reservoir or chamber 1 is formed by the case 2 of the lubricator having the head 2 thereon with the sight win- 'dows '3 provided in its opposite sides, and the filling plug 4 in its top. I i

The steam pipe 5 leads from thesteam line 6 above the lubricator and descending alongside the lubricator, forms thecondensing pipe 7 which enters the side of the case through the valve 8, and thence discharges ,withinthe grease chamber through the condensation tube 9. I

The feed fitting 1.0 is secured by. a lateral stem 11 to thejhead of the grease chamber; is connected by a top stem 12 to the steam pipe 5 leading through the valve 13' from the'steam pipe 5; and is connected by a lower extension 13*with the glass sight tube 14 extending downward alongside the lubricator. i

The lower end of the sight tube 14 is connected'with the elbow fitting 15 having a lateral stem 16 connected with the side of the case, whichstem is continued by the feed pipe 17 through the bottom portion of the grease reservoir and discharges into the steam line 6 through the controlling valve 18 connecting the lower end of the lubricator case with the steam line.

The steam chamber 19 is formed in the body ofthe feed fittinglO' and preferably extends' 'directly downward from the steam pipe 5 into the sight tube 1 1. -Within the grease port 21 leading laterally through the lateral stem 11 of the feed fitting from the Within the steam chamber 19 is also provided the pendent feed nipple 22 extending downward from the heating tube, in which nipple is formed the axial feed port 23 leading downward from the outer end of the grease port 21. I

The valve 24 may be provided in the outer side of the feed fitting for controlling the flow of lubricant from the grease chamber into the feed port, as shown in Fig. 3; and the tubular shield 25 may extend down ward within the steam chamber around the feed nipple, as shown in the same figure; but these details of construction and arrangement are not essential.

By locating the heating tube within and across the cavity of the steam chamber, it is directly in the path of thelive steam flowing through the same from the pipe 5 and is directly impinged by 'the steam,

which also flows around the sides of the tube and constantly heats the same so that the grease in the grease port and the feed port is completely liquefied immediately previous to and during the formation of the drop.

The pendent shield 25 when used, is employed for the purpose ,of preventing the flow of live steam directly against the mouth of the nipple, whichmight possibly interfere with the normal formation of drops of lubricant therein; and also'serves to-prevent the condensation and formation of drops of water upon the nipple, which might'be mistaken for drops of lubricant evident that the contents of the grease chamber will be heated and partially liquefied by the condensation tube and also by the feed pipe, so that as the liquid lubricant rises to the top of the reservoir by hydrostatic pressure in the usual -manner, it will pass outward through the grease port 21 and thence downward through the feed port 28, as the same may" be controlled by the feed valve 2i; and that f in passing through the heating tube 20, located in the path of and being directly impinged and entirely surrounded by the live steam .passing through the chamber of the feed fitting,

the lubricant will be completely liquefied for the proper formation of the drops at the mouth of the nipple; whence the lubricant passes downward through the sight tube and is carried through the feed pipe into the steam line as described.

A modified form of the feedfitting 10 is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the lateral stem 11 and the grease port 21? communicate with the feed chamber 26 formed in tle head of the grease chamber having the inlet port 27 in the upper side thereof, adjacent to the top of the case, which port is controlled by the feed'valve 2% extending through the top of the case.

To those skilled in the art of making lubricators, many alterations in construction and differing embodiments and applications of theinvention will suggest themselves, without departing from the spirit and scope'thereof; the disclosure and the descriptionherei'n being purely illustrative and are not lntende'd to be 1n any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. In alubricator, a feed fitting having a chamber therein, connections for passing llve steam through the chamber, a heating tube with a pendent nipple in the same chamber, thetubebeing directly impinged and surrounded by the live steam and there beinga grease port in the tube and a feed port in the nipple wherein the lubricant is liquefied for the formation of drops at the mouth of'the nipple.

of the nipple, and a shield Within the chamber around the nipple. V

FRANK LGl VRY. Witnesses ELFRIEDE SCHMIDT, LOUISE "COREY.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

